Disk-harrow



u 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 0. LA DOW.

DISK HAREOW.

(No Model.)

Patented July 28, 1885.

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CHARLES LA DOW, OF ALBANY, NEV YORK.

DISKHARROW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,343, dated July 28,1885.

Application filed January 15, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that 1, CHARLES LA DOW, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Al- 1 bany, in the county ofAlbany and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Disk-Barrows, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to harrows employing rotary disks, which arepeculiarly adapted for breaking up new prairie sod.

It also relates to barrows having disks ingangs adjustable to the lineof draft.

It further relates to scrapers having automatic action for cleaning thedisks.

It also relates to disk-gangs attached directly to the pole, and also tomethods of construction adapted to the requirements of transportation,and ready detachment and attachment of the parts.

It also relates to novel methods of constructing the disks.

My invention consists in providing the disks with scrapers havinautomatic action for removing the soil that may accumulate on the disks.

It i'urther consists in providing the disks with scrapers adapted toautomatically approach and reeede from the disks.

It further consists in providing the disks with scrapers which haveautomatic action, and which are adapted to conform to the irregularitiesof the disks.

It further consists in corrugating or otherwise shaping the disk in suchmanner that greater strength may be secured with less thickness ofmetal.

It further consists in providing the disk with corrugatioi'is whichstrengthen it and also enable it to more thoroughly turn and pulverizethe soil.

It further consists in adapting the draftpole to he hinged directly tothe disk'gangs, and combining the same with parts adapted to be hingedtogether, which in their united relation with the pole constitute adraft-frame for the gangs.

It further consists in providing the gangs with an adjusting-leveradapted to receive the side thrusts and dral't of the gangs, and totransmit the same directly to and in line with the pole and withouttorsion thereof.

it further consists of othercombinations (No model.)

{ and details of construction, hereinafter de 1 scribed and specificallyclaimed.

A The objects and purposes of inyinrention I accomplish by means of thedevices and con struction shown in the accompanying drawi in gs, whichform part of this specification, and

and in which I Figure l is a top View with forward part of l poleremoved. It shows the gangs connected directly to the pole by the hingedbraces F F (of one of which Fig. 9 is an edge view) and G C. It showsseat in dotted line and seat-bar J in connection with the pole, and alsothe ad justin g-lever G. The scrapers and scraperbar are removed. Fig. 2is a side view with the first rear or outer disk removed to display thebrace N and the method of hinging it to the gang. It shows one of thescraper pendent mounting the seat and the lever (r. Fig. 3is a top Viewof the parts shown in Fig. 1, showing the position of the braces G G,the lever Gr when the gangs are angled with the line of draft, and theinner disks of each gang abutting. Figzatis a rear view and elevationshowin g scrapcr bar and scrapers. Fig. is a disk, showing corrugationsradiating in a straight line from the axle. Figs. 6 and 7 show relativeposition of scraper-disk and scraper-bar, dotted lines in Fig. 6 showingthe position occupied by the scraper when in process of cleaning thedisk. Fig. 8 shows a modification of the pole, its rear end beingdivided so as to be attached to the gangs without the use of braces F F.Fig. 9 is an edge view of one of the braces F, to show its constructionin detail. Figs. 10, 11, and12 showthe construction of one of thescrapers and the method of mounting the same on the bar by means ofdouble hinges. Fig. 13 shows the torsional action of the doubly hingedor swireled scraper relative to the corrugations of the disk. Fig. 1%shows ainodiiication. in the radiations of a corrugated disk. Fig. 15represents a modification ot' a scraper adapted to 1 be loosely hingedinto its casting on the bar, so that the blade of the scraper may thusobtain torsional movement relatively to the disk. Fig. 16 represents adisk whose corrugations do not run outward in a straight line from thecenter. Figs. 17, 1S, and 19 represent an- ;.toinatically-operatingscrapers hZLYlllg their from the scraper-bar, and also the method ofblades arranged on a vertical plane, and their arms or shanks arrangedon a horizontal plane and adapted to be held away from the disk by avcounterbalanceweight suffi cient to maintain the scraper normally out ofcontact with the disk, but allowing it to approach the disk to clean thesame. Fig. 20 represents the scraper last described, but having a springsubstituted for the counterbalance-weight, and adapted to perform thesame office. These figures show the scraper as applied to plain disks;but they, as well as the forms described in Figs. 6, 7, 12, and 15, aredesigned to operate with corrugated disks equally well. Fig. 21 shows adisk having corrugations deepest near the center. Fig. 22 shows a spoolwith corrugated ends adapted to mesh into the corrugations of the disk.

The same letters denote the same parts in all the figures.

Obviously, the details of construction of the several parts may bevaried in arious equiv alentwell-known ways without departing from thespirit of the invention. Some of the parts may be used without theothers and in machines differing in construction from that herein shown.

To accomplish the purposes of myinvention, I mount a suitable number ofdisks on their axles B B, separating the disksby spools ofsuitable sizein the usual manner. These spools M, Figs. 6 and 7, are provided,preferably, with separate flanges or plates bracing up against thedisks, as S S in the figures, and adapted to fit the corrugations andconfiguration of the disks for the. purpose of strengthening them.

Obviously, a spool and its plates may be made in one piece; but suchform involves greater expense in manufacture and does not possessthe'advantages of mycon struction, one of which is that when the journalpart of the spool is worn out it may be replaced without also furnishingthe plates. The spools taper down from the disks, and are stronger thanstraight spools having a shoulder near their ends. The spools maybe usedwithout plates, and in such case the spools have corrugated ends to meshinto the corrugations of the disks. Disks without corrugations may beused, and in such case neither plates nor spools need be corrugated.

The rear end of the pole A may be divided and its arms attached to eachgang, respectively, as indicated in Fig. 8, A A but I prefer to attachthe pole to each gang, respectively, near its inner end by means of theiron braces or hinges F F, which are firmly bolted to the pole at 0 c,and by the pins T T are hinged to the gang. The outer ends of each gangare attached to the pole by means of two divergent bars, O O, hinged attheir rear ends to the gangs and at their forward ends to the pole bymeans ofa lever, G. This lever is a double-angled yoke pivoted at A tothe pole and oscillating vertically thereon, having its arms bentlongitudinally, Fig. 2, so that they shall lie along opposite sides ofthe pole, parallel with it, when the movable end of the lever rests onthe top of the pole forward or backward of its pivoted point A. Theforward ends of the bars 0 O are hooked swivelly to their respectivearms of the lever G at some point, an, between its fulcrum a and itsfree end, so that when the lever Gis oscillated parallel with the polethe swivel-bars O O at N N are pulled forward or backward, therebydrawing with them the outer ends of the gangs,

which may thus be angled horizontally with the line of draft, Fig. Thebraces or bars F and O are hinged to the gan g-bearin gs with lips,preferably formed on the standards P Q. Between these lips, Fig. 2, p1), I insert the ends of these braces and connect the parts togetherwith the pins T T. The hinged parts F F are provided with a holelaterally larger than the pin T, for the purpose of allowing the ends ofthe gangs vertical motion on these hinging-pins. These pins T T serve aspivots when the outer ends of the gangs are being moved forward orbackward. By this construction the gangs have at their inner ends ayibratory and pivotal motion on the pins T T, and at th ir outer ends apivotal motion on the pins T T and a vibratory motion at theswivel-points a a on the lever G, and can consequently be angled withthe line of draft and angled or canted vertically, so as to oscillate orvibrate in conformity with the inequalities of the ground to be harrowedwithout disarranging or impairing the structural unity of the parts as aframe.

Obviously, the lips p 2) may be provided with lateral slots, or, ifdesired, the gangs may be adapted to swivel on their journals in thestandards P P Q Q, and thus obtain movement for their ends, but I preferthe construc tions shown. The standards may be placed between otherdisks than those where they are located in the drawings.

\Vhen the lever G is lying backward on the pole A, the draft-strain fromthe outer ends of the gangs is brought or transmitted through the bars 0O directly and evenly upon the pole, and from opposite sides ofit, sincethe arms of lever G lie alongside of the pole, Fig. 2. In like mannerwhen this lever is lying forward on the pole, Fig. 2, dotted line, andFig. 3, and the gangs are then angled, so that the draft-strain shall begreatest, then the strain is in like manner brought directly upon thepole; and since in this position the end of lever G rests on the pole,Figs. 2 and 3, and the angled arms of the lever lie parallel alongsideof it, with the points of attachment of the bars 0 O at n a fallinglower than the fulcrum a of the lever, and the draft-strain is appliedin a line from the gangs to the lever G at a at, below the fulcrum 4,obviously the gangs are held angled as firmly by the toggle thus formedas if the bars O C were bolted to the pole itself, the draft-strainholding leverG- firmly locked in its position. By this construction inall cases the draft IIO tension or strain between the gangs and pole isdirect and even from opposite sides of the center of the pole, withouttorsion thereof, and in turning the machine, though the strain throughbars C O is a pull from one gang and a push from the other, still bothare, by this construction, applied at the same time at points directlyat opposite sides of the pole, squarely, so that neither the levermechanism nor its attachments nor the pole are wrenched, nor is theefficacy of the parts as a frame impaired.

The gangs may be angled by backing the machine, whereby the lever G isthrown forward and locked upon the pole by the action of the team, andby slightly raising the lever (when thrown forward on the pole) andstarting the team the gangs will be drawn into line with each other. Bywithdrawing the pins T T T the gangs can easily be detached;

from the pole, and the swivel-bars O O can be then readily unhooked fromthe lever G, and the parts are thus easily and readily packed fortransportation or adjusted and. handled.

Upon the rear of the pole I mount the plate I, having a ratchet toreceive the seatbar J. The seat-bar is provided with a button, X,pivoted to the seat-bar atj, having its lower end provided with a hookadapted to engage with. an oppositely-turned similar hook on the plateor casting 1, whereby the seat is held firmly in place. This button Xcan be turned laterally and unhooked to permit the seatbar to bewithdrawn from its socket, thereby providing a means for a speedy andeasy attachment or detachment of the seat without unbolting the same.

In my construction, as shown, the inner ends of the gangs are adjacentto each other, and the tendency of the operation of the disks being tothrust the gangs laterally toward each othenobviously the inner diskswill be thrust together, each acting as a buffer to the other, towithstand this lateral thrust. \Vlien the gangs are angled and thisthrust is greatest, the edges of the circumferences of the inner diskswill impinge and rotate in unison as a single-disk, whether plain orcorrugated disks are used. In thelattercasethecorrugations willinterlock, and in any case virtually asingle cuttingedge will bepresented to the ground by the two disks, and they will make a singlecut in the soil, in a straight line with the line of draft, so that allthe ground traversed by the machine will be harrowed, and a narrowerstrip, lying between the gangs, in the path of the machine, will be leftunharrowed than in machines where buffers must be employed. Above thedisksl mount. a scraper-bar, K. K, for each gang. I accomplish thispreferably by means of the upright standards P P Q Q, and bolts passingthrough the scraper-bar and these standards. The scraper bar may beplaced either in front or in rear of the disks, if desired. Upon thesestandards preferably I mount the lips horizontally, p p, Fig. 2, intowhich are pivoted the braces and l disks, either flat or concaved, whenbars F F and G C, hereinbei'ore described, so that the disk and scraperbar structure shall be stable and. held upright relatively to the pole.Upon the bars K K, at suitable dis tance apart, Ihinge the scrapersseparately to vibrate laterally against the disks. Each scraper U isshown as consisting of a flattened plate adapted to play against a diskand shaped to conform to the configuration thereof, and having a shankof suitable length, with its upper end hinged in a clip or bearing, V,Figs. 6 and 7, mounted on the scraper-bar K. The scraper is hinged tothe scraper-bar at an angle vertically, Fig. 6, so that its tendencywill be to drop away from the disk by gravity; but a stop, W, isprovided and adjustably fastened to the scraperbar, enabling theoperator to adjust the angled inclination of the 3 scraper-shank as maybe desired, and to prevent the scraper i'rom dropping by gravity too farfrom the face of the disk when not engaged in scraping.

Obviously, as the disk rotates, any dirt that clings to it is brought incontact with the scraper and causes it to draw up to the face of thedisk closely and bear against it until the earth is scraped away. Whenthe disk is cleaned, the scraper gravitates back and away from the disk.The shape and sizeof the scraper, its inclination, and the manner ofmounting it. relatively to its bar or its disk may be modified to suitthe requirements of the manufacturer, the work to be performed, or theconfiguration of the disk.

The bearing V, Fig. 6, is provided with a slot, through which the bolt 2passes for the purpose of adjusting the hinge of the scraper on thescraper bar, either toward or from the disk, so that the scraper-bladeshall stand normally at an 5 desired distance from the disk. Eachscraper may have separate blades adapted to clean the same disk andoperate independently of each other; or one part of the said scraperform may be adapted to clean the concave side of one disk and its fellowthe convex side of the adjacent disk.

The adjustable stop may be omitted, and the casting "V may be providedwith a stationary stop for the scraper to strike against.

A modification of the scraper construction is shown in Figs. l0, l1, and12, in which the shank is swiveled to a cleated or lipped block, Y, andpivoted at 2' between the lips 31 y, so that the scraper-blade shalloscillate on its shank as an axis. The cleated block I is pivoted in thebearing V, and the stop W is provided for the purposes specifiedhereinbet'ore.

Obviously, by this means the scraper may oscillate against the disk, andmay rotate on its shank with the heel of the scraper as a pivotal point,so that it will follow all the irregularities oi the disks face. Thescrapers in any construction are automatic in action, and each operatesindependently of the other, and does not require the attention of thedriver. They may be used upon plain or corrugated mounted eitherseparately or in gangs,and may vibrate so that the plane of thescraper-plate shall always meet the plane of the disks surface or theplane of the elevations or depressions of the corrugations of the diskssurface regularly, and so that the toe of the scraperblade may vibratelaterally to follow and scrape the elevations and depressions of thecorrugath n; of the disk, Fig. 13. The scrapers automatically pressagainst the disks in proportion to the work to be done, and they areself-sharpening in use. They may be ap plied to either side of thedisks, or be adapted to scrape both sides of one disk, and they may beapplied to any shape or sized frame on any form of disk-barrow.

'When the scrapers are hinged to a frame or bar in advance of the disks,I prefer to combine them with either a counterbalance-weight oraspringto hold them normally out of contact with the disks, as shown inFigs. 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20. These scrapers are automatic in operationand work on the same principle of scraping as those shown in Figs. 6 and7.

The scrapers may be united by any wellknown mechanism, so that all thescrapers in a gang may act in concert, approaching the disks by thesuction of the soil adhering to the disks, and falling away therefrom(after the earth is scraped off) by their own gravity or by the gravityof another body coacting therewith, or by means of a spring attached;but I prefer that each scraper have action independent of other scraperson the same gang of'disks.

WVhen the pole is divided, as in Fig. 8, and hinged to the gangs, Imount the seat-bar casting Z Z in between the divided part of the poleby bolts 7c, and mount the seat thereon, as before described.

The disks may be either flat or plain concaved, as ordinarilyconstructed, and mounted in any of the usual well-known ways; but asherein shown, Figs. 5, 7, and 14, I construct my disks of a single plateof metal, concaved, with corrugations radiating from the middle of thewheel to or near to the circumference, or with these radiations curvedfrom the middle of the wheel to the circumference, or radiating frompoints between the middle and circumference of the disk, so th at theblade of the disk shall cut the earth with the edge of the corrugationsvertical to the surface to be harrowed. By means of this corrugatedconstruction the wheels are greatly strengthened proportionally to thethickness of the material used in their construction, and consequentlymuch less material can be used in constructing disks without impairingtheir strength and workin g capacity; also, the thin waving edge andcorrugated surface make a deeper and wider cut, and are adapted todistribute the soil more broadly and to pulverize it more thoroughly,and at the same time less disks are required to the gang. Moreover, thetendency of the disks to warp in the process of manufacture iscounteracted by the process of oorrugating, and the undesirableirregularities and blisters on the faces of the disks that cannot beobviated in the manufacture of plane concave-faced disks are taken up inthe elevations and depressions of the corrugated surfaces hereindescribed.

By corrugating the disks the thinness of the material employed rendersitpossible and avai able to manufacture plates already polished intodisks in the shape desired without heating, and thereby obviate thenecessity and overcome the difliculties of polishing out the concavesides of the disks after construction. Further, by employing suchcorrugations the disk is tapered from its middle to the edge, and thethickness of the plate being thus gradually reduced from the middle ofthe edge of its circumference, it is adapted to penetrate the grounddeeper, and retains its sharp edge till worn out, and by this means thenecessity of occasionally sharpening the edge during useis entirelyobviated, as well as the necessity of sharpening the edge when firstconstructed; but the disks may be sharpened before being corrugated, andthen they are preferably beveled on both sides.

Any number of corrugations desired may be employed, and the disks neednot be set at so great an angle to the line of draft to accomplish thesame work, and so lessen the draft-strain upon the team.

The disks may be corrugated as shown in Fig. 21, or in any other formdesired, so far as many of the features of my invention are con cerned.In Fig. 21 the corrugations are shown as increasing in depth as theyleave the cuttingedge of the disk. This gives a disk of great strength,and also insures a good permanent cutting-edge.

When the corrugations are made on the ends of the spools themselves, Iprefer to make the spool in two parts, as shown in Fig. 22. The ends ofthe spools may be enlarged and the bracing-plates omitted, if desired.

The corrugated bracing-plates may be used, if desired, with the spoolshaving corrugated ends; or the bracing-plates may be used against disksthat are not corrugated, and with spools whose ends are not corrugated.

The bracing-plates may be used on the concave or convex sides of thedisks, or on both.

The corrugated disks are better adapted than smooth-faced disks topulverize and break up hard soil, or that which contains rooty orfibrous matter-such as new prairie sod, which can by the use of thismachine be made to produce a crop the first yearas the corrugations inthe disks take hold of the soil and lift and break the same, and theautomatically-operatin g scrapers clean out the corrugations as fast asthey become filled, thus adapting the machine for work not possibl to doheretofore.

I am aware that heretofore scrapers have been made that could be pushedup to and removed from the disks by the operator; also alt that scrapershave heretofore been made to move across the radial faces of the disksby various mechanisms but, sofar as I am aware, I am thefirst to combinescrapers with disks in such manner that the earth adhering to oraccumulating on the disks shall cause the scrapers to approach and cleanthe disks.

1 am also aware that heretofore disks have been strengthened by formingribs on the side of the disks; also that many articles have heretoforebeen corrugated to increase their strength or rigidity; but, so far as Iam aware,

I am the first to form a disk for pulverizing the soil from a singleplate of metal andso corrugate the same as to increase its strength andefficien cy.

No claim. is herein made to the abutting of the inner disks for the twogangs, whereby the end-thrust of the gangs is eqalized and the relationof the disks insured, as such subject-matter is claimed in anotherapplication, iiled by me July 6, 1885, Serial No. 170, S00, andobviously the other features of the machine herein shown and claimed areentirely independent of such a construction. I

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a disk, a scraper held normally out of contactwith the disk and adapted to be forced against the disk by the soiladhering thereto, and a support or sup ports for the disk and scraper.

2. The combination of a disk with a scraper hinged to its support andadapted to automatically approach the disk to clean the same and to movein a lateral direction from the disk when cleaned, and a frame for thedisk and scraper.

b. The combination of a disk, a scraper adapted to approach the disk andto gravitate therefrom independently of other scrapers in i the samegang, and a frame for supporting the disk and scraper.

l. The combination of a disk, a scraper held normally out of contactwith the disk and adapted to automatically approach the disk and tofollow the inequalities thereof, and a support or supports for the diskand scraper.

5. A corrugated disk,in combination with a scraper adapted to conform tothe corruga tions, and a support or supports for the disk and scraper.

6. The combination of a disk and a hinged scraper adapted toautomatically approach the disk laterally, the hinge being locatedoutside of the circumference of the disk.

7. A gang of disks and a frame in which they are mounted, in combinationwith a gang of scrapers adapted to independently and automaticallyapproach and recedc in a lateral direction from the sides of the disks.

8. The combination of the disk L, a draft frame or support therefor, thebar K, and the i hinged scraper U, arranged at an angle relal tivcly tothe side of the disk and adapted to be forced against itby the suctionof the earth adhering on the disk.

9. The disk L, in combination withthe hinged the disk and adapted toautomatically approach and recede therefrom.

10. The combination of a seat standard, the casting I, having theseat-standard socket, and the swinging or pivoted locking-button foruniting the standard to the casting.

11. The combination of a disk and a scraper held normally out of contactwith the disk and adapted to have both lateral and torsional movement incleaning the disk.

12. The combination of a dish, a scraper adapted to have both lateraland torsional movement on a single hinge, and a support or supports forthe disk and scraper.

13. The combination of the pole A, the adjustable disk-gangs B B, thelock-joint lever G, and the bars 0 0, adapted to push and pull in linewith the side of the pole.

ll. The concave-convex cutting-disk for a plow or barrow, made of asingle plate of metal and formed with radial corrugations adapted tostrengthen the disks against lateral pressare.

15. The herein-described corrugated cuttingdisk for a plow or barrow,made of a single plate of metal, in combination with mechanism forvarying the angle of the disk.

1 16. A barrow-frame, in combination with a disk having corrugationswhich diminish in depth as they approach the edge of the disk.

17. A gang of corrugated disks and spools having corrugated ends, incombination with an axle and nutfor clamping the corrugated partstogether.

18. A disk-barrow havin a pole forked at its rear end and adapted to bethereby hinged to the disk-gangs, draft-bars for adj ustin g the angleof the gangs, and mechanism for shifting the draft-bars.

CHARLES L A. DUYV.

Witnesses:

S. G. SPEIR, EnNns'r J. A rkins.

scraper U, arranged at an angle to the face of 70

